With so many focused on the health care reform, it can be easy to miss another ongoing debate that’s also taking up a lot of lawmakers’ time. Specifically, medical malpractice suits are being dissected. One report states there are already special courts that exist where bankruptcies, worker’s compensation cases and tax cases are handled by attorneys specializing in these areas. A. Harrison Barnes, attorney and founder of LawCrossing.com said in a previous article the number of physicians opting to err on the side of caution is on the rise.

Malpractice lawyers work to ensure the rights of their clients who have suffered the consequences of wrong diagnoses at the hands of their physicians. Many professionals and lawmakers agree the both the medical and legal fields would benefit from a nationwide malpractice court system. Still, not much has changed in recent months in that the Obama Administration, along with many Democrats, remain vehemently opposed to such a system. But what, if anything, would be the advantage for the average American citizen? A. Harrison Barnes says the most important benefit would be the almost sure reduction in health care costs. It’s not only the LawCrossing.com founder, however, that takes this stance. The Congressional Budget Office calls the potential savings “huge”. Many analysts have even said more than $50 million could be saved over the next ten years in medical tort reforms. Health care costs lowered, lower malpractice insurance premiums for doctors and hospitals and savings to insurance companies since many physicians would no longer feel as though they had to order the whole realm of tests in their efforts of avoiding lawsuits: the justifications become clear.

These changes are long overdue. No one is quite sure where the problem lies or why this new legislation seems to find itself on the back burner again and again. The fact is, these changes should occur sooner rather than later. As we near the breaking point, and with all signs pointing to a health care reform that only suggests a shaky foundation, unless something happens soon, we’re all in for less than quality healthcare – worse than it already is.

So what advice does A. Harrison Barnes have for those contemplating new challenges in their legal careers? With the potential to forever change the way healthcare is administered in this country, this particular specialty promises to present challenges and rewards for those wishing to make a difference. As far as those closest to the reform measures agree the time has come.

It’s important to realize the Medicare program would benefit greatly from medical malpractice reform. Finally, those supporters of the reform measures are quick to point out the goal is not to protect those medical personnel who practice irresponsibly or illegally; and in fact, is intended to highlight those who jeopardize their patients’ lives to ensure they’re held accountable. The true goal of the reform is to guarantee medical treatment is made available to every American and to provide doctors the freedoms to practice medicine with fewer reservations with the decisions they make.